Top 5 Mistakes Niantic Must Avoid with Gigantamax in Pokémon GO

The awaited arrival of Gigantamax Pokémon is set for Pokémon GO during the GO Bigger event on October 26, 2024. This innovative twist on the Dynamax concept will highlight Gigantamax forms of iconic Pokémon like Charizard, Blastoise, and Venusaur. While there is significant excitement among trainers about these additions, some players harbor concerns regarding how Niantic is managing the Dynamax feature.

As the future of this feature in Pokémon GO remains uncertain, it opens the potential for mistakes from the development team. Here are five pitfalls that Niantic should steer clear of regarding the new Gigantamax mechanic.

Five things to avoid with Pokémon GO’s Gigantamax feature

1) Preventing Max Pokémon from transforming

Max Soup allows creatures to unlock their Gigantamax potential (Image via The Pokemon Company) — Max Soup is an item in the main series that unlocks a creature’s potential to Gigantamax (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The community expressed frustration when Kanto starter Pokémon were the first Max Raid Bosses and are now returning with their Gigantamax variants. Players are particularly disheartened that they are required to capture and level up these familiar creatures anew.

To address this grievance, Niantic could introduce a system allowing players to unlock Gigantamax forms for Pokémon that already have the capability to Dynamax. In the main series, players can achieve this using Max Soup, which is crafted from items collected during Raid Battles. Niantic could also incentivize trainers with these ingredients by rewarding them for completing Gigantamax Raids and Max Battles.

2) Sudden increases in difficulty

Gigantamax Raids can accommodate 40 players, leading to concerns over their difficulty (Image via The Pokemon Company) — Gigantamax Raids can host 40 players, which has some players concerned about the difficulty of these new raids (Image via The Pokemon Company)

A major worry regarding the initial launch of Gigantamax Pokémon in Pokémon GO is the fact that these raids can support up to 40 players—double the standard raid size. This expansion has raised alarms among trainers about the potential challenges they’ll face during battles. If Niantic decides to increase the raid lobby size, these encounters could become significantly more difficult.

The apprehension is further heightened by the label of these new Gigantamax Raids as Six-Star Max Battles. Given that the most challenging Max Raid currently exists at Three-Star, these new battles are poised to be the toughest yet. It’s unclear if they will be the most challenging raids overall, especially considering the larger player capacity.

3) Ignoring rural players

Rural players fear that Gigantamax Raids will be unachievable in their areas (Image via The Pokemon Company) — Many rural players are concerned about Gigantamax Raids being impossible in their area (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Players in rural regions have voiced their concerns about the debut of Gigantamax, as the feature seems to depend heavily on challenging Raid Battles that may require numerous trainers to accomplish. Raids are already a rarity in less populated areas, making it nearly impossible to gather enough players for a raid in rural communities.

With information suggesting these raids cannot be completed remotely, many rural trainers have accepted that obtaining the new Gigantamax Pokémon may be beyond their reach. The introduction of an item like Max Soup could offer some relief but would not entirely solve the problem.

4) Overemphasis on Gigantamax forms

The dilemma arises as many previously released Max Pokémon have simultaneous Gigantamax forms (Image via The Pokemon Company) — The current issue with Gigantamax forms in Pokemon GO is that many of the Max Pokemon already released have Gigantamax forms (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Since launching the Dynamax feature in Pokémon GO, Niantic has predominantly focused on rolling out new Max Raid Bosses. However, the predicament lies in the fact that seven of the announced Max Raid Bosses also have Gigantamax variations. This scenario implies that players may be compelled to grind through more difficult versions of raids they’ve already tackled to access these new forms.

This situation could lead to frustration among players, especially with the introduction of Dynamax Gastly during the Halloween event, which has dampened participation in existing Max Battles. In light of this, Niantic should prioritize the introduction of the missing Gigantamax forms rather than continue releasing new Dynamax Pokémon.

5) Poorly chosen locations for Gigantamax Raids

The upcoming Gigantamax Raids need well-thought-out locations given their large lobby size (Image via Niantic) — The locations for these upcoming Gigantamax Raids should be carefully considered given their large lobby size (Image via Niantic)

A significant concern surrounding the upcoming Gigantamax Raids is their potential locations. With a 40-player capacity and the requirement for in-person attendance, large groups could easily gather at a single site.

While this arrangement might work efficiently in urban centers or notable attractions, it could become problematic if Niantic designates a raid location near schools, hospitals, or emergency service stations. If raid sites are not chosen with care, they might be lacking in rural communities, creating challenges for a considerable portion of the player community.

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